Trip from Houston, TX to Hico, TX

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

4h 42m

Distance

248.4 mi

400 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$38

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 41 min

4 AM

4h 29m ★

6 AM

4h 43m

8 AM

5h 10m

10 AM

4h 52m

12 PM

4h 50m

3 PM

4h 54m

5 PM

5h 8m

8 PM

4h 35m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Houston, TX

Trace Hudson

city in Hamilton County, Texas, United States

Hico, TX

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning a trip from Houston to Hico, prepare for a 248.4-mile journey that typically takes about 4 hours and 43 minutes. Since this is a turn-heavy local drive rather than a straight interstate shot, it is best tackled as a manageable one-day excursion. You will start by navigating Franklin and Travis streets before transitioning onto I-45 North to leave the city. Budget approximately $37 for fuel to cover the distance across these Great Plains landscapes. Because the drive is under five hours, you have the flexibility to make the trip in a single day without needing to book an overnight stay. Keep in mind that this route prioritizes local roads, so your travel time may fluctuate depending on traffic density.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.

Break Rhythm

1 planned break

Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.

Midpoint

124.2 miles from Houston, TX

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 23m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 42m. Total distance: 248.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

4h 42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

Drive Character

Expect a departure from the typical highway grind, as this route features a 0% highway share for the majority of the journey. You will find yourself navigating a series of turns rather than long, monotonous stretches of interstate, with Franklin Street offering no significant uninterrupted segments. The road demands your full attention, as it favors local navigation over high-speed transit. This technical profile means you should anticipate a more engaging, hands-on experience behind the wheel compared to a standard freeway commute. As you move away from the city center, the road character shifts to reflect the local geography of the Great Plains, requiring you to stay alert for frequent turns.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

TX 6 is the longest continuous segment at about 50 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on TX 6 and North State Highway 6. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Franklin Street.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 248.4 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Franklin Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Travis Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 45 / North Freeway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Franklin Street

Turn right onto Franklin Street

Navigation decision point

0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | Travis Street

Turn left onto Travis Street

Navigation decision point

1.4 mi into trip | ~3m in | I 45 / North Freeway

Merge onto I 45 / North Freeway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

9.7 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward TX 249

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 57B Toward TX 249

67.1 mi into trip | ~1h 22m in | TX 6

Merge onto TX 6

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
TX 6	50 mi	53m
North State Highway 6	43.3 mi	43m
South Avenue G	42.4 mi	48m
East Loop 340	28.6 mi	33m
Aggie Expressway	24.8 mi	27m
Tomball Parkway	12.3 mi	15m
East State Highway 6	9.1 mi	9m
North Freeway	8.3 mi	10m

Longest stretch: TX 6 — 50 mi, about 53m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Houston, TX and Hico, TX.

Start on Louisiana Street

474 ft · 19 sec · Louisiana Street

Use the straight / left lanes.

Turn right onto Franklin Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · Franklin Street

Turn left onto Travis Street

0.2 mi · 29 sec · Travis Street

Take the ramp

1.0 mi · 2 min

Toward I 45 North Express Lane

Merge onto I 45

8.3 mi · 10 min · North Freeway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 20 sec

Exit 57B Toward TX 249 Use the slight right lane.

Turn straight onto North Freeway Frontage Road

0.4 mi · 39 sec · North Freeway Frontage Road

Turn left onto TX 249

2.9 mi · 4 min · West Mount Houston Road

Use the straight / left lanes.

Continue on TX 249

3.8 mi · 6 min · Tomball Parkway

Continue on TX 249

8.4 mi · 9 min · Tomball Parkway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on TBT

7.3 mi · 8 min · Tomball Tollway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on TX 249 Toll

3.6 mi · 4 min · MCTRA 249 Tollway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on TX 249 Toll

25 mi · 27 min · Aggie Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on TX 105

5.8 mi · 6 min · State Highway 105

Turn right onto TX 105

0.2 mi · 16 sec · State Highway 6

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 18 sec

Merge onto TX 6

50 mi · 53 min · TX 6

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto TX 6

5.8 mi · 5 min · North State Highway 6

Continue on TX 6

2.2 mi · 3 min · South Main Street

Continue on TX 6

37 mi · 37 min · North State Highway 6

Continue on TX 6

2.2 mi · 2 min · South Memorial Street

Continue on TX 6

9.1 mi · 9 min · East State Highway 6

Take the exit onto TX 6

0.3 mi · 35 sec · TX 6

Turn left onto TX 6; Loop 340

29 mi · 33 min · East Loop 340

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on TX 6

3.3 mi · 5 min · Avenue C

Continue on TX 6

42 mi · 48 min · South Avenue G

Continue on TX 6

0.2 mi · 12 sec · West 2nd Street

Arrive at destination

TX 6

Trip Plan

To make the most of your 4-hour and 43-minute drive, plan for at least one dedicated stop to break up the turn-heavy segments. Leaving early in the morning is your best strategy to navigate the initial city streets before local traffic peaks. Given the $37 fuel estimate, consider topping off your tank before leaving Houston to avoid searching for stations on unfamiliar local roads. Since you have only one planned stop, use that time to stretch your legs and reset, as the constant steering on this route can be more physically demanding than highway driving. Flexibility is your biggest advantage here, so keep an eye on your navigation system to manage the frequent turns efficiently throughout your journey.

Morning Departure

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Evening Departure

A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

You can normally do this drive in one day.

Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.

The halfway point lands around 124.2 miles from Houston, TX, or about 2h 23m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 50 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 55 miles or 1h 8m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 124.2 miles or 2h 23m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 3h 50m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Hico, TX than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Houston, TX so your first major turns are already loaded.

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Houston, TX

This is one driving day of about 248.4 miles and 4h 42m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 55 miles from Houston, TX.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.

The longest stretch is on TX 6 for about 50 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 124.2 mi from Houston, TX · 2h 23m into the drive

city in Brazos County, Texas, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

College Station, TX

124 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Navasota, TX

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 55 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Marlin, TX

Meal break

The midpoint is around 124.2 miles from Houston, TX, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Hico, TX

The final approach into Hico, TX usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Hico, TX.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$37.53 one way

$75.07 round trip

$3.84/gal 25.4 MPG avg 87 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.20	$41.08	$82.17
premium	$4.54	$44.35	$88.70
diesel	$5.61	$54.84	$109.69

Estimated Tolls: $0.76

Tomball Tollway (7.3 mi) $0.51

MCTRA 249 Tollway (3.6 mi) $0.25

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$38

Tolls

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$63–$88

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 86.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $26 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	Stops	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	74.5	0	$26.08	$11.92
Efficient EV	62.1	0	$21.74	$9.94
EV Truck/SUV	99.4	1	$34.78	$15.90

Gas CO2

87 kg

EV CO2

29 kg (67% less)

Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Houston, TX

Afternoon in Houston on Thursday

Local time

1:27 PM

CDT

Current temp

79°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Hico, TX

Afternoon in Hico on Thursday

Local time

1:27 PM

CDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

8 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

4h 42m on the road

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Houston, TX to Hico, TX covers 248.4 miles and takes about 4h 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are TX 6, North State Highway 6, South Avenue G. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 124.2 miles from Houston, TX. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $37.53 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.

Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.